Memory
by Chibi's Sister
Summary: During the Ceremonial Battle, Ishizu sees a familar face. Pleashipping.


Memory of a Touch

She had seen the monster before. The Pharaoh's favorite, it appeared on nearly every battlefield he fought on. Most recently, she had seen it lead the attack which had defeated her brother, Marik. But here, in the eerie half-light of the ancient tomb, in the midst of the battle which would decide the fate of her Pharaoh's soul, it seemed as though she was seeing the magician for the first time. The first time? Perhaps not…

The magician began its attack on Yugi's monsters. But as the blinding light flashed from its staff, she felt it pierce her own heart. Her heart throbbed with a sudden stab of pain. _Why do I feel so sad?_ she wondered. A familiar sensation came over her, and her vision blurred and grew dark. But in her mind's eye, a picture appeared.

_A girl kneels weeping before a tablet of stone. Not even the hot desert winds can dry her tears. A wail rises from her lips, and her young eyes fill with despair. Grief is a lonely world. But the girl is not alone. Soft, comforting hands fall on her shoulders. A young woman stands behind her, head bowed with sorrow. "Don't give up hope," she whispers. "Become what he wanted you to be." They stay there together for a moment in silence. Slowly, the girl's sobs ebb, while the woman tries to wipe away the tears that trickle softly from her own eyes. _

A tiny gasp escaped her, as the scene faded and her eyes watched the duel ceremony once more. _Was that have been a vision of the past?_ She knew it must have been. But how could that be? She no longer wielded the Millennium Necklace. It lay in its place on the Millennium Stone, along with the other Items. She no longer possessed the power to see the past and the future. So what was this vision that floated before her eyes? Her eyes drifted back to the purple-robed monster. Again, she felt that sharp pang in her heart, and again, that odd twinge, of sadness, and something more. What was this feeling? She shook her head, trying vainly to clear it. His face was so familiar…

_A tall young man, a priest, stands in the courtyard of a palace. The Millennium Ring hangs around his neck. His face is solemn, his eyes grimly determined. He will do what needs to be done. His face softens just a fraction as a figure approaches—the young woman she saw before. Her face is worried and drawn. "I'm not so sure you should go through with this, Mahad." Light flashes from the Millennium Necklace at her throat. She raises sorrowful eyes to his. Cobalt eyes shining out of a familiar face…_

She barely stifled a cry. It was her own face that stared up at her. The woman in the vision…it was herself that she saw. It could not be otherwise. That was no vision, but a memory, a memory of long ago. _I remember. I remember everything, now. _She gazed up at the Dark Magician—no, at Mahad, and her cobalt eyes dimmed with tears.

"Sister?" She felt Marik's touch on her shoulder. "Are you all right, Ishizu?"

"I'm fine," she whispered. Was she? A tear trickled down her cheek, followed by another. She closed her eyes and the world she knew swirled away once more.

"_You were able to read my future, then?" His intense grey eyes meet hers. He knows the news is not good. He turns away. "Actually, I would rather not know." She looks down. She knew her warning would be futile. He will go anyway. So would she, were she in his place. Their duty is to their Pharaoh. Nothing else matters. _

"_Please, know this…" She swallows. "In, my vision, you do return." He glances back at her, a final time, and gives her a sad, wistful smile. She smiles sadly back, blinking away her tears as he walks away. _

_Mahad._ He did return, but not in the way any of them would have wished. She watched him stand there, at the Pharaoh's side, to serve and protect him forever, though he had lost his humanity in the process. She thought of her own long, lonely vigil guarding the Pharaoh's tomb, the sunless days and the bitter, moonless nights. Their duty was to their Pharaoh. Nothing else mattered. She turned back to the duel and swallowed. From across the battlefield, the Dark Magician's intense grey eyes met hers. He smiled sadly.


End file.
